Meet Nathania Stambouli | Yoga Instructor & Founder

We had the good fortune of connecting with Nathania Stambouli and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nathania, what is the most important factor behind your success?
The most important factor behind my success and the success of the various brands I’ve developed over the years is AUTHENTICITY. I never try to be something I’m not. As a yoga teacher in a world of hyper-spiritual yoga teachers who often talk the talk but don’t walk the walk, I loudly proclaim that there are parts of the yoga teachings that have changed my life, but I don’t claim to be a spiritual guru or that I can lead you to enlightenment. What I DO focus on is the parts of it that have change my life, and I’m authentically me – a yoga teacher that curses, drinks iced coffee (sometimes while teaching!) and is SUPER passionate about installing new beliefs in my students. I stand for eradicating “I can’t” from my students’ vocabularies and empowering them to believe that they CAN do anything they set their minds to – whether it be achieving a handstand, quitting their jobs to live their passion, leaving a relationship that they’ve grown comfortably uncomfortable in or doing anything else that presses them up against their comfort zone. Authenticity has always been the key. I am me, unapologetically, and I speak it out in everything I do. That attracts my ideal clients, the people who jive with my vibe and it allows people to know right off the bat if I’m the right person to guide and support them on their journey.

What should our readers know about your business?
My most recent project is Yogi Flight School, an arm balance an inversion program dedicated to teaching people how to stand on their hands in every shape imaginable. I honed my skills over 11 years of yoga practice and it is hands down the one thing I am most passionate about in this world – not just teaching the physical skills required, but the leadership principles that we all get to learn: how to change our mindset and beliefs, how to put down the stories that hold us back, how to trust ourselves, how to believe in possibility, how to set ourselves up for success and how to have the courage to go for it and keep getting back up and trying again anytime success doesn’t come immediately. I also run a retreat company and a yoga studio, and the journey to getting here wasn’t easy. I spent 10 years in marketing in an office in a warehouse with no windows before getting to this point in my life and I ran into a lot of trial and error – failed ventures, retreats where almost no one showed up, running a yoga studio during a pandemic. How I got over most challenges is simply not giving up and holding on to my WHY. Why was I doing any of this? And when the WHY is strong enough, it’s a bit easier to stay committed. I am also super resourceful and creative and whenever I run into a challenge or a road block, I start to work my way over or around it. Every obstacle is an opportunity to reinvent myself, to try something new, to walk a path less traveled and to see how I can reinvent who I am and how I am to make things possible. It all comes down to commitment – how committed are you to having this happen and what are you willing to give up to make it happen?

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’m a big fan of the beach, so of course, we’d go to the beach! Probably Venice boardwalk to see the art and the eccentric people, and then a hike in Temescal canyon or somewhere else with some elevation and great views. We’d hit up some of my favorite restaurants around town and walk down to the pier in Manhattan Beach.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Most of my success has come from transformational leadership work. I spent so many years in a place of “other people can do it but I can’t” and it’s not until I enrolled in incredible leadership trainings that everything began to shift. I started to understand that we live in a world of infinite possibilities and if it’s to be, it’s up to me to create my reality. Heartcore Leadership is an organization that has absolutely changed my life. I also owe much of my transformation to my yoga teachers over the years – Garth Hewitt, Kate Duyn, Cheryl Moss, Briohny Smyth and others who have taught me that it’s possible to make a living teaching what you love and to trust myself.

Website: www.yogiflightschool.com
Instagram: nattasticyoga